The best meditation apps could help you to sleep better, reduce your stress levels and find some much-needed inner peace. But given the situation right now with Covid-19, even if meditation apps just give you a break from the news and a chance to chill out for ten minutes, they’re more than worth it. 

Headspace, one of the most popular meditation apps around, first launched 10 years ago. Since then, hundreds of other meditation apps have been created and that means finding the best meditation app for you can be overwhelming. 

But when it comes to meditation, choice is a good thing. There are now meditation apps to cater to all kinds of people and preferences. From apps for beginners that walk you through the basics of meditation (like Headspace and Buddhify), through to those that just provide you with a timer and sound cues so you can ‘freestyle’ your meditation practice instead (like Samsara Timer and Pocket Meditation Timer). 

Not only are there different styles of apps, but different variations of meditative practice. You’ve likely heard celebs shout about the benefits of transcendental meditation, but most of the meditation apps you can download, and the ones on this list, allow you to practice a form of mindfulness meditation – less focus on chanting and mantras and more focus on, well, focus.

What is mindfulness meditation?

It’s easy to roll your eyes at the word ‘mindfulness’. We’ve all been inundated with books, articles and apps about becoming more mindful, from mindful swimming and shopping to mindfultidying and travelling, and everything else in-between. But, put simply, mindfulness is about being present and noticing what’s happening. 

Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t mean emptying your mind. Instead, it means paying more attention. Whether that’s to your thoughts, your breath or sounds around you. The benefit of mindfulness meditation is that you can start to take some of the presence and awareness you feel when you’re meditating into everything else you do throughout the day. 

And, giving you the tools to be a bit more present throughout the day is just one of the many benefits of meditation. It’s still early days for scientific studies (so we can’t say for definite that meditation works well for everyone and brings about the same benefits for everyone), but results are promising. 

So far, studies have shown meditation can lower blood pressure, improve sleep, alleviate some of the symptoms of depression, reduce stress and increase self-compassion, improve your memory and even bolster your immune system. 

With all of that in mind, here’s our top pick of the best meditation apps at the moment. All of which we’ve used and tested (in some cases for years) to bring you the best chance of cultivating a bit more calm and a little less stress in your life. 

1. Waking Up

Best for those who want a simple practice steeped in insight

Waking up was created by Sam Harris, a neuroscientist, philosopher, podcaster and author who teaches and discusses meditation in a modern, scientific context.

What we like about the Waking Up app above all others is it’s no-nonsense. There’s no chanting, twinkling rain sounds or spiritual references. Even the app itself has a very easy-to-use and minimal design. 

The goal here is to be present and aware. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t also soothing and transformative. We’ve been using Waking Up for more than a year and have found it’s made a huge difference – particularly to stress levels and reactiveness. 

There are two sections of Waking Up. The Practice section is where you can access simple daily meditations narrated by Sam Harris himself. When you first sign-up to the app, these daily practices will serve as an introduction to meditation, easing you into the basics of sitting still and becoming more aware.

But there’s also a section called Theory, which is about learning what’s going on behind the practice. Sam Harris interviews a number of prominent figures in the meditation, self-development and neuroscience spaces to discuss topics like death and awareness and also posts smaller lessons, which are like chunks of wisdom we sometimes listen to when we’ve already meditated that day. 

This wealth of lessons, interviews and additional insights about meditation is what makes Waking Up stand apart from the competition. This is why we recommend Waking Up for those who want to get to grips with meditation, as well as the science and thinking behind it.

Pricing: Free. But with in-app purchases to unlock more content. You can also get in touch with Sam Harris and the creators if you really want to try more of the app but can’t afford it. 

Available for iOS / Android

2. Headspace

Best for beginners

Headspace is one of the most popular meditations apps – and for good reason. We first started meditating with Headspace more than six years ago and credit it with getting our heads around the obstacles that can come up when you first choose to meditate. How do we sit still? What if we get caught up in thinking? How do we stop beating ourselves up when we get distracted?

It managed to ease us into a daily practice through an easy-to-use app full of color, simple instructions, fantastic visuals to illustrate what’s going on when you meditate and the soothing voice of Headspace’s founder, Andy Puddicombe. 

This is a great first port of call for beginners looking to get to grips with meditating. One of the best bits is there are so many different types of meditation to try for all kinds of situations. Whether it’s a simple mindfulness practice, meditation for kids, for sleep or for when you’re busy, including mindful cooking. 

We particularly love the SOS meditations, specially designed for mini meltdowns. There’s one for feeling overwhelmed and another for panicking, which we’ve used on many, many occasions to get us back to neutral. 

Pricing: Free. But with in-app purchases to unlock more content.

Available for iOS / Android

3. Calm

Best for those who can’t get enough of meditation

When you first open the Calm app it tells you to take a deep breath and that’s what the whole experience with the app feels like. A breath of fresh air and a chance to switch off and slow down, just for a few minutes.

One of our favorite things about Calm is you’re asked what your focus is before you begin. Whether that’s developing gratitude, increasing happiness or, our favorite, reducing stress. 

Calm has a wide selection of different meditations to choose from. There’s a series about confidence, one about saying yes to life, and even a Sigur Ros sound bath experience for when you don’t want guidance but just want some soothing sounds to chill out to. 

There’s also a Sleep Stories section of the app all about helping you to sleep soundly. With bedtime stories read by soothing voices or famous soothing voices, including Matthew McConaughey. He tells a story about the universe called Wonder and it’s a very, very dreamy experience. 

If you don’t fancy following a guided meditation, Calm also has a timer and a huge catalog of calming music, sounds and ambient noises to choose from, many are geared up for sleep but others are just lovely to listen to while you’re working or doing chores.

We think there are better apps for teaching you the basics of meditation, but Calm has the widest range of meditations, sounds, sleep features and stories to choose from. For us, it really delivers on its name – it’s a destination for calm. 

Pricing: You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Calm. It’s then £42.99/$42.99 for a year.

Available for iOS / Android

4. Buddhify

Best for those who want practical tools to help them through the day

Even though we’re creatures of habit, many of us don’t always want to meditate in the same way each and every day. That’s where Buddhify comes in. 

Sometimes you might want something slow and soothing to guide you through a difficult experience, other times you need a simple body scan when you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or in line at the post office. 

That’s why instead of asking you what you want to focus on (because oftentimes we don’t know, especially if we’re stressed-out) Buddhify will show you a number of scenarios on a colorful wheel and your job is just to choose which situation best describes what you’re going through right now. 

The app serves up a recommendation focused on what you might need in the moment – and it always tends to perfectly match your situation with a meditation. Whether that’s going to sleep, walking or travelling. 

Our recommendation would be to kick off your meditation journey with Headspace or Waking Up and then supplement your practice with Buddhify, as it makes meditation less of a sacred practice that requires a quiet room, a comfy cushion and incense and more of a practical and helpful tool. 

Pricing: £4.99 / $4.99  

Available for iOS / Android

5. Insight Timer

Best for a pick 'n’ mix of meditation

Like Calm, Insight Timer is an app with many guided meditation practices, lessons and features to choose from. That means it’s not just an app for meditating, but a one-stop-shop for feeling good, calming down and reading up about the wider thinking and history behind meditation practice and self-development too. 

There are a range of guided meditations on offer in Insight Timer. You can choose from a beginner kit, which includes learning to meditate or coping with anxiety. Or select how you’d like to meditate based on a particular focus, like sleep, stress and anxiety. Or you can pick the type of practice you’re in the mood for, like paying attention to sound, movement or sitting back and taking part in a guided visualization. 

There’s a useful 7-day course we’d recommend if you’re new to meditation, which teaches you the basics. But like Calm, we think Insight Timer is a great option once you’ve started to meditate and then want access to a huge range of practices at your fingertips – it’s a pick n’ mix of meditation. 

Pricing: Free. But with in-app purchases to unlock more content.

Available for iOS / Android

• The Muse 2 is a headband designed for meditation

Beats Electronics, the company behind Beats headphones, has been a big player in the global audio market since it was first set up nearly 16 years ago. Fast-forward to 2014 and the company was acquired by Apple for $3 billion – and since then, it’s been going from strength to strength.

Last year, Beats and Apple launched the Beats Powerbeats Pro, a pair of true wireless earbuds created for working out. During our review, we found they’re supremely comfortable, sound decent, and seem to never, ever fall out. What else could you ask for from a pair of buds built for fitness? 

Later in 2019, Apple unveiled the Apple AirPods Pro. These are, admittedly, a better pair of buds when it comes to audio smarts – thanks to new noise cancellation tech. But when it comes to a good pair of true wireless earbuds there’s much more to consider. So which pair of Apple-owned true wireless earbuds are truly the best? 

As with most high-end headphones these days, the answer will be different for everyone depending on your lifestyle. That's why we’ve balanced the pros and cons of each pair of earbuds based on their most important factors, like sound performance and comfort. Read on to find out which pair of true wireless earbuds we think are right for you. 

• Read our full AirPods Pro review
• Or, check out our Beats Powerbeats Pro review

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: price

The Apple AirPods Pro true wireless earbuds cost $249 / £249 / AU$399. You might think this premium price tag makes sense for an Apple product, but there’s a significant price difference when you compare them to the 2019 AirPods, which cost $159 / £159 / AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the Wireless Charging Case. 

As such, they’re not marketed as a direct replacement for the 2019 AirPods. When we compared the Apple AirPods Pro with the Apple AirPods we did find there’s a lot more on offer with the newer Pro model, including noise-cancellation and active EQ. For many that might justify the big price hike, for others, the advanced performance may still not be enough of a draw for that price.

Similarly, the Beats Powerbeats Pro cost $249 / £219 / AU$349. Unlike the AirPods Pro, you have four different colors to choose from, including Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy – all of which come with a matching charging case.

The Powerbeats Pro are significantly more expensive than the previous iteration of these earbuds, the Powerbeats 3, which can usually be found online for under $100 / £100. But as we’ll learn later, what you're getting with the Powerbeats Pro is the significantly improved design, Apple's latest H1 Chip, and advanced sound quality.

As you can see, there’s no price difference between Apple’s two Pro true wireless earbuds in the US – and a marginal difference elsewhere. 

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: design

How you feel about different earbud designs often comes down to personal preference and whether you want a bigger bud that might not be pretty but feels secure, or a minimal design that values style over sports credentials. 

The Apple AirPods Pro are slim and minimal, but do have a distinct look when you have them in your ears, which has become synonymous with Apple. This is largely down to the stems, which stick out of your ear and point downwards. These stems are considerably smaller than the original AirPods, but they’re still obviously AirPods all the same.

The shorter stem may sound good if you were never keen on them in the original AirPods, but we found during testing it took some getting used to. That’s down to the fact there’s a ‘capacitive force sensor’ located in the stem. This is a small ridge on each of the AirPods Pro buds that you can squeeze to activate noise-cancelling / Transparency mode, or skip and pause tracks. What this means is that with a shorter stem, activating that sensor is a little more challenging – although we did find it became second nature after a few weeks of testing. 

The Beats Powerbeats Pro look completely different to the AirPods. They have a design that’s become synonymous with sports-focused headphones – with a hook around the back of your ear – that still looks the part outside of the gym too. Of course, this makes sense given they’re marketed towards those who need a good pair of everyday headphones that are just as at home at the gym as they are the office.

On paper, we much prefer this look, but the one downside over the AirPods Pro is they jut out of the ears more – for some people this won’t be an issue, but it’s worth flagging up, especially if you like to wear earbuds to help you fall to sleep.

Like the AirPods Pro, there’s a control on the Powerbeats Pro themselves. On each, there’s a playback control button located where the Beats logo is, as well as a volume rocker, so you can control music with your hands.

When it comes to comfort credentials, the Apple AirPods Pro have had an upgrade over the original AirPods. They now stay in place well and during our testing, we found they didn’t bounce around at all – even when we were jogging or running up a flight of stairs. 

This fantastic fit is due to the customizable fit features. Apple offers three different-sized silicone tips and helps you to figure out which is best for you with a fit test within the app. This will make sure the buds don’t just fit well, but give you the best sound performance, too.

The only minor downside is that a lot of sweat can make the silicone tips slide about a little more than we’d have liked. But, crucially, they didn’t fall out, even while running. They’re also very light, which sounds like a big pro, but could be a problem if one of them ever did fall out. We couldn’t guarantee we’d notice straight away. 

We also found the Beats Powerbeats Pro to be extremely comfortable during testing. What we mean by that isn’t just that the design around the ear fit snugly, but the whole experience while listening to music was great too. 

When we’ve tested some true wireless earbuds in the past we’ve found there’s a slight in-ear pressure when listening to music. It’s not unpleasant, but not ideal. It’s something we felt while listening to other workout earbuds, like the Jaybird X4. However, that odd pressure is nowhere to be found with the Powerbeats Pro. This is deliberate and due to a micro-laser barometric venting hold located in the front chamber that Apple says reduces pressure in the ear and improves bass response. 

Like the Apple AirPods Pro, there’s also a choice of different-sized earbud nozzles, which contribute to the excellent fit of the Powerbeats Pro. Combine that with the added hook design and you’ve got one very comfortable listening experience.

It’s also worth mentioning here that both earbuds have been designed with IPX4 sweat and water resistance, which means they’re good for 10 minutes of water or sweat splashing. 

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: battery life

Battery life is a key factor when it comes to finding the right true wireless earbuds for you. There’s no point going fully wireless if the battery is poor and you have to plug them in to charge them often, after all. 

During our testing, the AirPods Pro lasted 4.5 hours with noise-cancelling on and around five without it. The AirPods Pro’s charging case will then give you over 24 hours of listening time when fully charged and it also has a fast-charging mode. 

In comparison, the Beats Powerbeats Pro offer a huge eight to nine hours of battery life. That’s obviously much better than the AirPods Pro, but there’s no active noise cancellation here, which explains some of that big difference. 

The Powerbeats Pro charging case also provides 24 hours of listening time and comes with a fast-charging mode, so they’re on par in that respect – although the Powerbeats Pro charging case is very big, which makes it a little awkward to carry around. 

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: performance

The biggest difference between the two true wireless earbud models is noise cancellation. The AirPods Pro are the first headphones from Apple with active noise cancellation tech built-in. 

During testing of the AirPods Pro, we found that when active noise cancellation is on, there’s a strong and noticeable effect. However, it won’t completely shut out every sound around you. For example, if you’re in an office and there’s loud music playing, a bit of it might bleed through. 

Having said that, just walking down the street with them in your ears will shut off most noises, including cars and motorbikes. Constant noise, like a fan or the wind (the type that can be particularly annoying), is shut off well, too. We also found they worked well on a train, making a huge difference when this mode was turned on and off.

Handily, the AirPods Pro also offer Transparency mode, allowing you to listen to music and hear what’s going on around you if you need to be a little more aware.

What’s important to note here is that although the Powerbeats Pro do not have noise cancellation, the very snug fit of the design – with the hook around your ear and comfortable in-ear nozzles – can give you a certain level of passive noise cancellation by physically blocking out sound. However, the AirPods Pro quite obviously win when it comes to drowning out outside noises and providing an immersive listening experience.

When it comes to general sound performance, Apple has provided custom drivers, improved bass and an adaptive equalizer within the AirPods Pro. During our testing, we found this meant vocals often sounded really rich and the bass, in particular, was more powerful than the original AirPods.

We had a similar experience across all kinds of music, including acoustic, indie rock, electro, pop, and hip-hop – but equally across these genres, the separation between high mid and low was only average. One thing to note is there’s still a feeling that the sound is 'closed off'. What we mean by that is it sounds as though the music is coming from inside your head; high-quality headphones tend to make it sound as if the sound is coming at you from all angles instead.

Some other true wireless earbuds performed better when it comes to hearing the details in the music than the AirPods Pro, like the Sony WF-1000XM3 for example. Similarly, classic music sounded a little dull, but pop music always came through clearly with rich and balanced mid-frequencies.

During our testing of the Powerbeats Pro, we found that, as you’d expect, the Beats brand still caters to EDM, R&B and rap, and can now play most crunchy rock and alternative with some authority. 

Surprisingly, the Powerbeats Pro have really turned down the bass this time around. Although they’re not quite at a flat EQ, it’s more like a gentle v-shape that boosts the highs and lows with a slight recess on the mids. It’s a smooth curve so that music sounds reasonably energetic, but not too slanted that movies and shows are unwatchable. We found that even movies like Thor Raganarok sounded absolutely fine with them.

Although it’s worth mentioning that this might be subjective. Our preferences for an EQ curve aren’t going to be to everyone’s tastes – and there are no tools here to alter the sound. This is bound to be frustrating if you don’t feel like you’re hearing enough mids when you’re watching a movie or if you feel like your music is missing some sparkle in the upper register.

Although they offered a good listening experience that blocked out some environmental noise, it wasn’t always a good experience listening to the Powerbeats Pro on busy public transport or in a loud office. With that in mind, we found they performed their best in quieter environments, like at home, in a calm office or at the gym. 

Because you can use hands-free Siri, they’re great for setting timers in between sets and placing calls to friends and clients. Whether you choose the AirPods Pro or Powerbeats Pro may come down to something as sensible as where you’ll be using your earbuds the most. 

Both true wireless earbuds feature Apple’s H1 chip. This means you get features including Audio Sharing, Announce Messages with Siri, and Hey Siri with each of them. However, one additional feature it’s worth mentioning here is that the AirPods Pro send exact volume levels to your iPhone so you can see if you’re listening to things too loudly. It’s a small but significant step in hearing health that could win some people over.

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: takeaway

Whether you buy the AirPods Pro or the Beats Powerbeats Pro will all depend on what you’re looking for. After all, they’re the same price in some regions.

If you’re active and want a pair of headphones that’ll do for the commute and the gym, you’d probably be best opting for the Powerbeats Pro. They fit better thanks to the around-ear hook and snug nozzles. What’s more, the (nearly) nine hours of battery is also hugely appealing if you’re active and won’t get a chance to stop and charge – unless you want to carry that huge case around with you.

On the other hand, if you want the best sound performance with the latest noise cancellation tech and Transparency mode you need the AirPods Pro. They’re also a good option if you prefer something a little more compact too, both in your ear and to carry around thanks to the smaller charging case.

If you’ve not been sure about AirPods in the past, the Pro design might win you over. Those big stems are smaller, audio performance is better, and fit has been hugely improved. 

You can’t go wrong with either of these true wireless earbuds and at the end of the day it’ll come down to what your day-to-day activities look like, whether you need the latest noise-cancelling tech or maybe that you just prefer the design of one over the other. 

• Best headphones 2020: Your definitive guide to the latest and greatest audio

The Apple AirPods Pro are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now. With great noise-cancellation, an improved design (compared to the original AirPods), and a snug fit, they’re hard to beat – especially if you’re a fan of Apple products.

However, the AirPods Pro aren’t perfect. They’re expensive and even the new and improved design doesn’t mean they aren’t prone to slipping out of place from time to time. Which is why, when it comes to the best true wireless earbuds on the market, the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds currently take our top spot. 

We rewarded the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds 5 out of 5 stars when we reviewed them in late 2019, thanks to their top noise-cancellation, solid audio performance and minimal looks. But given that they’re similar to the Apple AirPods Pro in many ways, the big question is: which pair of true wireless earbuds should you buy?

Of course, the answer will be different for everyone depending on your priorities and style. But below we’ve weighed up the pros and cons of each pair of earbuds based on key factors, like design and sound performance. 

Read on to find out whether the AirPods Pro or the Sony WF-1000XM3 should win the battle for your ears.

• We think Apple is on the verge of releasing a new version of the AirPods Pro; the AirPods Pro Lite are said to be a cheaper version of the true wireless earbuds. As well as that, we're expecting to see the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Studio in 2020.

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: price

The Apple AirPods Pro cost $249 / £249 / AU$399. This is a big price difference when you compare them to the 2019 AirPods, which cost $159 / £159 / AU$249 (with the standard charging case), and $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the Wireless Charging Case. 

That means they’re not meant to be a direct replacement for the 2019 AirPods. But is that big price hike worth it? When we compared the Apple AirPods Pro with the Apple AirPods we found there’s a lot more on offer with the Pro model, most notably noise-cancellation and active EQ. But that still doesn’t mean many of us would be able to justify the price. 

In comparison, the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds cost $230 / £220 / €250 (Ireland) and AU$400. They’re available in regular black, and champagne silver.

Sure the Sony WF-1000XM3 buds aren’t a great deal cheaper than the AirPods Pro, but it’s worth noting that they’re roughly a third cheaper than Sony’s over-ear WH-1000XM3 model – which shares the same noise-cancelling technology. They’re also competitively priced against rival wireless earbuds, including the $299 Bose QuietControl 30 – buds that also offer active noise cancelling. 

It's also worth bearing in mind that there are some great Sony WF-1000XM3 deals out there at the moment – right now, AirPods Pro deals are a little more rare, but you can still find them if you look hard enough. We've done the hard work for you, and you can check out the best prices for both models below:

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: design

The design of a pair of true wireless earbuds is often down to personal preference – do you want a bulky pair sticking out of your ears so everyone knows you have them in? Or do you like something unobtrusive and minimal?

Despite being slim and fairly minimal, the Apple AirPods Pro have a distinct look when you wear them. The stems of the Pro might be smaller than the original AirPods, but they’re still obviously Apple products.

Although the shorter stem might sound appealing, in practice it took some getting used to. That’s because there’s a ‘capacitive force sensor’ in the stem, which is a small ridge on each of the AirPods Pro that you can squeeze to activate noise-cancelling / Transparency mode, or skip and pause tracks. The shorter stem makes activating that ridge a little trickier, but we did find it became second nature within a few weeks.

In contrast, the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds have a simple design and sit just outside of your ear rather than hanging down from them, like the AirPods Pro stems. This makes them look very unobtrusive, especially because their design is overall very simple with minimal, clean lines. 

When it comes to comfort, the Apple AirPods Pro have had a big improvement over the original AirPods. They stay in place snugly and don’t bounce around, even when you’re jogging or charging up a flight of stairs. 

This is largely due to the customizable fit with three differently-sized silicone tips on offer. Apple helps you find which is best for you thanks to a fit test, which you can run on the app once the earbuds are in place.

The only downside is if you sweat, the silicon tips can start to slide around a little. However, the important thing is they didn’t fall out. Which means if you’re someone who struggled with the fit of the original AirPods when running, these are a huge step forward and fit far more comfortably. However, during our testing, we found the Apple AirPods Pro to also be extremely light. This is a pro in that it makes them comfortable to wear, but could be dangerous if one were to fall out – we’re not sure we’d notice.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds cleverly twist into place and, once there, stay secured by the structure of your ear. This design feels intuitive and means the experience of wearing them is snug and comfortable. 

There’s a selection of seven different non-slip rubber and foam earbud covers supplied in the box, so you should experiment to find one that offers the best fit and comfort level.

Although neither of these earbuds are designed with sports in mind, a big plus of the AirPods Pro when it comes to design is that they’re IPX4 water-resistant. This means you can use them in the rain and if you’re sweating a lot and it won’t affect their performance. 

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: battery life

Battery life is important for a good pair of true wireless earbuds. What’s the point of going wireless if they die after a few hours? 

During our testing, we found the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds last around 6 hours on one charge. If you forgo noise cancellation altogether, you can claim back another couple of hours, which combined with the charging case, gives you 24 hours in total.

They come with a smart rechargeable case, which doubles as a battery pack and has a quick charge mode. Plug-in for ten minutes and you’ll get another 90 minutes of juice. This is perfect if you need a quick boost before a flight – and the case charges over USB-C in about three hours.

In comparison, the AirPods Pro last 4.5 hours with noise-cancelling and around 5 without. The AirPods Pro’s charging case will give you over 24 hours of listening time when fully charged and also has a fast-charging mode. 

So, when in terms of battery life, the Sony WF-1000XM3s just edge past the AirPod Pros, at least when it comes to the earbuds themselves – with the charging cases included though, both models will give you about 24 hours of listening time in total.

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: noise cancellation

Both earbuds boast advanced noise-cancellation tech, which begs the question: which true wireless earbuds are the best when it comes to audio performance and noise-cancelling smarts?

Sony has a strong legacy of noise-cancelling tech. The Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones were among the first pairs of true wireless earbuds to use active noise-cancelling, thanks to a Sony QN1e HD noise-cancelling processor. That’s the same processor you’d find in the Sony WH-1000XM3 over-ear headphones, which have consistently been our pick for the best headphones you can buy since they launched in 2018. 

Because they’re true wireless rather than over-ear, the Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones don’t quite match up to the WH-1000XM3s when it comes to noise-cancellation, but they’re not far off.

Although we found they didn’t drown out the sounds you hear on a plane (like take-off, announcements, etc), and therefore might not be the best bet for long-haul travel, where Sony’s noise-cancelling really scored was the everyday commute. Whether it was by train, tram or bus, the noise suppression is high. They’re also very good at eliminating nearby chatter, thanks to dual noise sensors in each bud. 

We also found it virtually impossible to hold a conversation with Active Noise Cancelling engaged – which is a good thing, especially if you work in a busy office environment. 

Although Sony may have a history of noise-cancelling devices, the AirPods Pro feature Apple’s latest noise-cancelling tech. We found that when active noise cancellation is on there’s a strong and noticeable effect.

Similarly, it won’t shut out all other sounds around you – if you’re in an office and there’s music playing, a small amount might still bleed through. But if you’re walking down the street, the AirPod Pros practically shut off all the noise of a motor bike, and any constant noise (like a fan or constant wind) is shut out very well, too. We also found they worked well on a train, making a huge difference when the mode was turned on and off.

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: sound quality

Both headphones may be similar when it comes to noise-cancellation, but how do they compare when it comes to sound quality? 

The Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless buds have 6mm drivers that we found exuded clarity and rhythm. They serve up a wide, expansive soundstage, with believable spatial detail – which is great from such small buds. 

When listening to podcasts, the mid-range is smooth. If you prefer to rock out, they roll with the best of them – guitars have edge, drums are tight and hard. Bass sounds good, but if you want a really pronounced thump you’re best off opting for over-ears anyway. 

With the AirPods Pro, Apple is showing off its custom drivers, improved bass and an adaptive equalizer. What does this mean when it comes to sound quality? Well, when we tested the AirPods Pro with a range of tracks, we found vocals often sounded really rich and the bass, in particular, was more powerful than the AirPods 2.

This was present across acoustic, indie rock, electro, pop, and hip-hop – but equally across these genres, the separation between high mid and low was only average. There’s still a feeling that the sound is 'closed off', by which we mean it sounds as though the music is coming from inside your head. This isn't ideal and high-quality headphones tend to make it sound as if the sound is coming at you from all angles instead.

We also found that compared to on-ear headphones (or some top true wireless earbuds, like both the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 and, yes, the Sony WF-1000XM3) it was harder to hear all the details in the music in the AirPods Pro.

Having said that, vocals in pop music came through clearly with rich and balanced mid-frequencies. But classical music sounded a little duller than it should. 

One additional feature it’s worth mentioning here is that the AirPods Pro send exact volume levels to your iPhone so you can see if you’re listening to things too loudly. It’s a small but significant step in hearing health that could win some people over.

AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: takeaway 

When we put some headphones head-to-head there’s a clear winner. But when it comes to choosing between the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds, you can’t really go wrong. 

If we had to choose we’d say go with the Sony WF-1000XM3. These earbuds have broader appeal, better sound and are cheaper. The design will also appeal to most people, as will the extra battery life. 

But it’s a very close call. The AirPods Pro have good noise-cancellation and fit well. It’s also a bonus that they’re water-resistant and have the added hearing health feature. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you already own Apple products, including an iPhone, the AirPods Pro make a lot of sense.

Given there’s not much in it when it comes to pricing and battery life, the choice is also largely down to personal preference. If you like the AirPods aesthetic, you’re still getting a very premium pair of wireless earbuds. 

• If you want even more choice, check out our review of the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 true wireless earbuds 

Apple has been bolstering the health features on its Apple Watch smartwatch for some time now with the addition of an ECG sensor, as well as added health-tracking features. 

That's why it's no surprise that a recently filed patent shows Apple is working on integrating new health sensors into the Apple Watch.

As reported by Apple Insider, the new sensors could help monitor and treat Parkinson's Disease. They would work by monitoring the movements of the wearer and analyzing the data using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). 

Parkinson's Disease is characterized by a number of symptoms, including tremor and dyskinesia. This is an uncontrollable and involuntary movement, which may look like twitching or swaying. 

• Are fitness trackers the future of healthcare?
• These upgrades could be coming to the Galaxy S11
• The best movies to watch on Disney Plus right now

The new proposed sensors detailed in the patent would not be used to diagnose Parkinson's Disease. Instead, the technology would provide useful monitoring of the movements associated with tremors and dyskinesia, which could provide valuable insights to healthcare providers.

"[This] provides all-day symptom/severity tracking information [and] provides a clinical tool for evaluating patient response to medication," Apple says in the patent application. It could also improve the quality of life of the wearer and enable them to "better plan activities around symptom patterns."

Right now those with Parkinson's Disease make a note of symptoms themselves. However, Apple believes this kind of self-reporting can be inaccurate, which is why the company proposes "passive tracking of dyskinesia and tremor symptoms using a wearable computer."

Although sensors to monitor Parkinson's Disease could be a bold next step for Apple, it's worth bearing in mind we do see a lot of new patent applications being filed every week – they don't always make it into finished products.

However, even if this specific technology isn't integrated into a future version of the Apple Watch, it points to an interesting, and specific, health focus for Apple's wearable technology moving forwards.

• Check out the latest smartwatch from Apple in our Apple Watch 5 review
• Best fitness tracker 2020: the top 10 activity bands on the planet
• Apple Watch ECG: here's how to take an electrocardiogram with your smartwatch

The Roku TV smart platform may be a huge hit in the US – and included in one of every three televisions sold – but it's only just arrived in the UK thanks to a partnership between Roku TV and Hisense. 

The new Roku-enabled 4K HDR TV models have landed in the UK in time for Black Friday 2019, which add to the Hisense 2019 TV range.

There's a good range of choice with Hisense and Roku TV models coming in at 43”, 50”, 55” and 65” screen sizes, all of which are available to buy now exclusively via Argos. 

• If you're not sold on the new Hisense and Roku TV options, then check out our guide to the best Black Friday TV deals of 2019 instead.

All four of the Hisense and Roku TV models are, as you'd expect, powered by the Roku OS. 

This means they have a customisable home screen that displays all of your entertainment choices, including gaming consoles, set top boxes and of course many streaming channels, like Netflix, Prime Video and NOW TV.

You'll also be able to access Freeview Play, which brings live TV and on demand content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5.

If you're not in the UK, you can see today's best deals on 4K TVs below:

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for. 

• Check out our guide to the best Smart TV 2019: every smart TV platform and which set does it best.

The Apple AirPods Pro have been out for less than a month, but that hasn't stopped them from a price cut in time for the Black Friday 2019 sales.

As we write this, you can grab a set of Apple AirPods Pro for $234.98 from Amazon, and that comes with free shipping. That said, it's worth acting fast, because AirPods are likely to come in and out of stock throughout the Black Friday period. 

It might only be a $15 saving on the original price of the AirPods Pro, but it's significant given they're so new. After all, when the original AirPods were released, we couldn't find a bigger discount than $7.

If you're not sure whether the new AirPods from Apple are for you, then head to our Apple AirPods Pro review to find out why we gave them 4 and a half stars out of 5 - and the damn things finally stay in our ears.

Will we see another saving? Well, it's unlikely so close to the launch - so while it could happen, we expect things to not go much lower than this. Amazon has been one of the only stores to knock money off so far, so there's a chance the Walmart Black Friday deals might come out fighting over the next few days.

If you want to check the live prices, our widget below will help you find the best in your region - especially good if you're not in the US and sad about missing out now...

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

Keep an eye on our dedicated AirPods Pro prices and deals guide for the best prices. Or if you're looking for the cheaper models, then our regular AirPods deals is the one you want.

The Black Friday 2019 deals are already coming in thick and fast. Early deals on some of iRobot's most popular Roomba robovacs see some huge price cuts, including $100 off the iRobot Roomba E5 – one of the most advanced robovacs on the market right now. 

Robot vacuum cleaners are a great idea. They take a chore none of us enjoy off our hands and make it easy, automated and fuss-free. The problem is, many of them cost a small fortune. 

Which is why this deal on the E5, which slashes the price from $379.99 to $279 is one of our top bargains. 

The iRobot Roomba E5 (5150) has a 3-stage cleaning system, which doesn't just get rid of all the dirt, pet hair and dust you can see, but all the tiny dust particles and allergens you can't. 

It's full of sensors, which means it can navigate around furniture well for a deep clean, and it for the real tech experience it can be customized and controlled via an app or with Alexa and Google Assistant. 

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

If the iRobot Roomba E5 isn't for you, then click this link to read our guide to the best robot vacuum sales and deals for Black Friday 2019.

The Apple TV app is now available on three of Amazon's Fire TV streaming devices. 

A week before the launch of Apple's new video streaming service, Apple TV Plus, the Apple TV app now works on the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen) – though the Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen) and Nebula Soundbar Fire TV Edition are expected to get support before the end of 2019.

The Apple TV app allows Fire TV owners to stream TV shows and movies they've previously purchased through Apple iTunes. It'll also allow them to watch new content, which has been either purchased or rented, in the future. However, purchases need to be made through a separate device with iTunes – you can't order anything new straight from the TV, unfortunately. 

• These are all of the Apple Plus TV shows you need to know about

Once Apple TV Plus launches on November 1, 2019, Fire TV owners will then have the choice to subscribe to the new service, which will house a range of original content, including the highly-anticipated The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carrell and Reese Witherspoon.

Apple TV has also been made available on other third party platforms, including Samsung TVs and Roku, with additional support expected for Sony and LG too. This will presumably increase the number of new viewers signing up for Apple Plus TV when it launches next month.

• Read our reviews of the Amazon Fire TV devices: Amazon Fire TV Stick Review / Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Review / Amazon Fire TV Cube Review / Amazon Fire TV Review

Imagine your fitness tracker vibrates on your wrist – but it’s not because you’ve reached your 10,000 steps goal for the day or because you’ve received an email. Instead, your tracker is warning you that your blood pressure is high, your doctor has seen the stats in real-time and they want you to de-stress. Or maybe an analysis of your sweat is showing you’re a little too dehydrated. Or maybe the air around you is full of allergens and could set off your asthma.

The sensors within our fitness trackers have improved greatly in recent years. We now have more accurate heart rate monitors, accelerometers to detect the smallest changes in movement and positioning, and even ECG sensors in devices like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Amazfit Verge 2 to flag up issues with our hearts.

But many experts believe this is just the beginning and soon our fitness trackers will be packed with an even wider range of sensors to collect data that could, potentially, save our lives, diagnose illnesses and keep our doctors constantly updated.

Advancing sensors

For fitness trackers to become valuable health tools and diagnostic devices in the future, they’ll need even more sensors. Right now, there are many different sensor technologies in development that could tell you more about your body – and the atmosphere around you – in the not-so-distant future.

For example, air sensing and analyzing tech is receiving a lot of funding and attention at the moment – especially as areas around the world become more smoggy and polluted. Over the past few years, we’ve seen companies like Plume Labs and Cair develop products that can alert you to changes in the air around you. This is appealing for those with respiratory issues, allergies and anyone with general pollution concerns too.

These sensors currently exist within standalone devices, but could one day be translated into much smaller wearable trackers.

But it won’t just be about sensing the air in your home or direct vicinity. To make data about the air more meaningful, this information could become cloud-based. That way upcoming hazards, including pollen or smog, could be crowd-sourced and then relied upon for real-time updates. This is the thinking behind the AIR app from Plume Labs, which shares data with people in different locations.

Another sensor technology that might be fitted into wearables in the future is the kind that can monitor and analyze your sweat. Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley have been working on a sensor that can measure electrolytes and metabolites in your sweat. It takes information about skin temperature and can then alert you to lots of problems, including fatigue and high temperature, which might be the first sign of dehydration or illness.

As well as sweat, your breath could also provide useful feedback. Devices that contain sensors to analyse the composition of your breath are already available to some athletes and health professionals and, one day, could make their way into our fitness trackers.

For example, Cosmed’s K5 measures oxygen consumption, heart rate and energy expenditure from your breath. These kinds of devices are bulky, so it’ll be a challenge reducing them into a wearable. But with so much valuable data in your breath, a Fitbit that doubles as a personal breathalyzer might not be too far away.

Of course, this is just the beginning. New ways to track blood glucose levels, interpret your mood, guess at your stress and measure your blood pressure are also being developed, and even built-in to some consumer-facing wearable devices already.

Joining the dots

The big question is: what do we do with all of this new data?

“We’re at a point where the suite of sensors is pretty good. And so the focus now is to make the information more valuable,” Mike Feibus president and principal analyst at FeibusTech, tells us. “Consumers of tired of alerts like ‘you walked 1,243 more steps than yesterday,’ or ‘you spent 23% of the night in REM sleep.’ They want to know what that means. And what they can do to make that better. That’s challenging.”

The technology is only half of the equation. There are many who believe that for these wearables to truly change the way we treat and diagnose health issues in the future, we need to improve the way data is interpreted and then shared with healthcare professionals as well.

For example, an advanced tracker that can detect heart problems may sound like a life-saving wearable, but if the data isn’t easy to understand, sent to your doctor or properly taken into account for future treatment, it won’t be as helpful as it could be. In fact, it could just prove to be more confusing.

Of course there’s responsibility here on wearable tech manufacturers to work to better interpret our data for us and make it accessible. But there’s only so much individuals can do with potentially complicated medical information. This is where doctors come in and why it’s imperative they understand the potential of wearable technology – and how to use, access and interpret the data it collects.

“Fitness trackers are great. And, if used well, can give clinicians useful insights into a patient’s physical wellbeing,” Farhan Amin, GP and founder of Concept Health Technologies tells TechRadar. “They can also be incorporated in hospitals to measure the activity and physical progress of a patient. This can help with the discharge planning enabling right support for the patient is in place before discharge.”

But although fitness trackers are encouraged by some doctors, they’re not commonplace – at least not yet.

“The challenge is how to incorporate fitness tracker within the existing healthcare setting,” Amin says. He believes the answer is a more joined-up approach. “To move forward, healthcare providers and fitness tracker companies need to work together closely to ensure the patient gets value from being tracked.”

Although implementing new ways of tracking and diagnosing issues might seem like a costly undertaking, it certainly makes sense for both patients and medical professionals. “Here’s an opportunity to make the devices our doctors’ eyes and ears for the 99.99% of the time we’re not in their offices,” Feibus says.

One company already working to make sense of the data collected from fitness trackers, and shake up how we view and access healthcare, is Babylon Health.

“We already help users better understand the information that’s collected using their fitness and wellness devices with our Monitor product,” Keith Grimes, clinical artificial intelligence and innovation director at Babylon Health tells us. “Users can review their activity, weight, energy expenditure and distance travelled through integrations with popular wearables like Fitbit and Garmin.”

But Grimes explains this is just the beginning. Future plans will look to track mood and other measurements, integrating them into a comprehensive health record. “In this way, fitness tracker data will be able to help people manage their chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, better understand their risk of diseases and take action to prevent them,” Grimes explains. “This will even support doctors and our AI to make diagnoses, advice treatments, and better manage their health.”

For this to work, both Grimes and Amin point to the need for accurate data that’s collected with a patient’s consent. “If we are going to help people manage their health using fitness trackers, we have to first make sure that it is safe to do so,” Grimes says. People will, increasingly, need to know what they’re consenting to, who will see their data and what it’ll be used for.

Looking to the future

Amin believes that different kinds of wearable and consumer-focused sensor technologies will become a standard way of collecting more data about patients in the future.

“I think the wrist will continue to remain the mainstay of the fitness tracker for now,” he tells us. “It comes natural as people are used to wearing wrist watches. There is a lot of research going on in smart patches, smart ink, smart clothing, all of which is really exciting but none of them are consumer ready yet.”

But further into the future our wrists will just be the beginning. We can expect more of a holistic approach to health with the tech, and AI assistants, already in our homes.

“Eventually fitness trackers or the current generation of fitness trackers will become obsolete and replaced with even more intuitive and passive form of data capture,” Amin predicts. “Smart home, smart cars, smart offices will talk to each other and may be able to capture physiological and biochemical data in a non-invasive way.”

More sensors are being added to fitness trackers as we speak, and plenty more are in development. The challenge is how we can turn these trackers from cool lifestyle devices into potentially life-saving health tools. To do this we’ll need ways to better interpret our own data, as well as understanding from medical professionals who are as clued up about what the technology is capable of as we are. That way our doctors will be better equipped to look after us and we’ll all be much more informed about our health because we can keep a close eye on it 24/7.

• The best fitness tracker 2019: the top 10 activity bands on the planet

Toshiba has unveiled its new range of TVs for 2020 at the IFA 2019 tech expo, and it's all about your smart home – with Alexa, Google Assistant and Android TV built right into the new models.

The tech company has already launched four new sets in recent months, including the budget 4K Toshiba UL5A. But the new 2020 series is all about smarts and building a connected home entertainment experience. 

The 2020 Toshiba TV now also works with Google Assistant. This means you can control your TV with any Google Assistant-enabled device. You can turn it on or off, change channels, adjust volume and lots of other other commands by just shouting "Hey Google!".

• Not sure which Toshiba TV is for you? Check out our guide to whether you should buy a Toshiba Fire TV

The 2020 Toshiba Connect TV has Alexa built-in. A far field microphone integrated into the bezel (rather than a separate microphone from the Toshiba 2019 range) allows for hands-free voice control wherever you are in your room. As you'd expect, you can ask Alexa to change channels, open apps and everything else you can think of.

Finally, the new Toshiba Android TV will be one of the first to run on Android Pie. This will bring a customizable interface and connectivity to apps through your Android smartphone. It also has Chromecast built-in, which means you can cast TV shows, movies and anything else from Android or iOS devices to your TV. This model also has Google Assistant integration too, meaning you can use your voice to control smart home devices, access apps and more.

TRU Picture Engine

Of course it's not just about smart home integration. Toshiba promises the 2020 range will still offer up a great viewing experience thanks to the brand's TRU Picture Engine, which is a picture quality chipset for best-in-class image quality. It combines a trio of image processing technologies, as well as Full HD and HD Ready content and 4K video.

Toshiba also continues its partnership with Dolby Audio, bringing its sound offering through Dolby Atmos for a more clear and immersive listening experience.

• IFA 2019 is Europe's biggest tech show, and the TechRadar team is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and hands-on first impressions of new TVs, phones, laptops, wearables and other devices as they're announced.

Content warning: There are details and personal anecdotes about eating disorders in this article. 

Tracking workouts, steps and calories with wearable devices and apps has become the new normal. Take a look around next time you’re at the gym or go for a jog around the park – most people working out have a wearable strapped to their wrist or a phone strapped to their arm. 

The number of connected wearable devices worldwide will push 74 million this year and is expected to rise to more than 1 billion by 2022 – health-focused wearables will make up a large part of that number. 

Right now, there are fitness wearables aimed at casual users, like the Fitbit Inspire HR, through to those more serious about running, like Garmin’s Forerunner range. 

Even devices that aren’t marketed solely for their health-focused features, like the Apple Watch, tend to have step counting, calorie burn and exercise tracking built-in as a standard. This means even if you haven’t bought a wearable or smartwatch to track your activity, data about your body is often only a few swipes away. 

However, there’s mounting evidence to suggest that wearable devices may not help everyone to become healthier or fitter. Instead, some research suggests they could take the fun out of fitness, turn out to be useless after six months or hinder long-term weight loss.

What’s more, a handful of newer studies also propose that having instant access to data about your health at your fingertips could lead to anxiety and trigger or exacerbate disordered eating and exercise in some people.

Given the continued rise in wearable technology, and the fact that health-focused devices are being introduced in gyms, corporate ‘wellness’ programmes, and marketed at children and young people, it’s important that we better understand how activity, food and weight tracking could do more harm than good.

The link between fitness tracking and disordered eating

We spoke to Dr Carolyn Plateau, a lecturer in psychology at Loughborough University, who has been studying the effect that fitness trackers, as well as health-focused apps, have on regular users. 

Her most recent study aimed to explore the differences in disordered eating, disordered exercise and mental wellbeing between people who use fitness trackers and apps to record food intake and those who don’t. 

“Our findings were interesting as they indicated that those who did track their activity or food intake showed higher levels of both disordered eating and exercise than those who did not,” Dr Plateau tells TechRadar. “In particular, higher levels of purging behavior (e.g. excessive or driven exercise to control or modify weight or shape) was found among the tracking group.” 

We asked Amanda Perl, a psychotherapist and Counselling Directory member who specializes in working with patients with eating disorders, about this link. “Calorie counting, strict dieting and excessive exercising are all symptoms of disordered eating,” Perl tells us. “Tracking devices can exacerbate these symptoms as they’re fixated on all those things.” 

This preoccupation with health-focused metrics and goal setting also leaves little room for balance, Perl explains, “trackers can increase feelings of failure, self-loathing and feeling out of control.” 

Even those who may not exhibit disordered eating behavior could be at risk of setting impossibly high standards for themselves. “Apps and devices can take over and promote perfectionism,” she tells us, “an unattainable illusion that promotes feelings of vulnerability through to depression.” 

Although participants of Plateau’s study who tracked their activity and food intake showed higher levels of disordered eating, she explains we can’t infer cause and effect and say for certain that trackers cause disordered eating – more research would need to be carried out over a longer period of time. 

“It could just be that participants with disordered eating and exercise tendencies may be more likely to want to track their food and fitness,” she tells us. 

The results do suggest, however, that tracking with health-focused wearables and apps could exacerbate or maintain disordered eating behavior. 

“It’s possible monitoring of activity and food intake could inadvertently encourage or validate some of the features of disordered eating and exercise amongst those who are vulnerable,” Plateau explains. “It is also possible that this could contribute towards the obsessive and highly self-critical perfectionistic tendencies that we see in individuals with eating related issues.” 

But Plateau stresses that there are many factors involved in determining someone’s vulnerability to disordered eating, as well as the likelihood that behavior could turn into a full-blown eating disorder.

The darker side of calorie-counting and nutrition apps 

Although health-focused wearables provide the automatic, real-time tracking that can lead to a preoccupation with exercise and health data, apps used on their own may also validate the same kind of behavior – but with more focus on food intake. 

A number of recent studies have shown apps with large databases of food that present detailed nutritional values, like MyFitnessPal, are widely used in the eating disorder community. 

Hayley Pearse, who is recovering from an eating disorder and documenting her recovery journey at Brunch Over Bones, tells us that she’s been tracking calories in a notebook since 2012, but the rise in tracking apps exacerbated her disordered eating. 

“As technology has progressed, so has the ease of tracking every macro, every calorie and even my body fat percentages,” Pearse tells TechRadar. 

She found she was in a cycle of using many apps, but was always on the lookout for better options that gave her more control over what she ate. “It started with an obsession with my body fat percentage and fitness performance that every meal was portioned to macros – that’s what the apps were telling me to do.” 

“The more I used apps, the more I started to critique them as they didn't quite have every food on there,” Pearse explains. “I found that my safe and fear foods list had also doubled in size and if a certain food was not in the app then it was not going in me either!” 

It’s the granular data available on the apps that Pearse believes fuelled her fixation on food. “Apps gave me the knowledge of nutrients in food and also the 'skill' to gauge by sight how many calories are on the plate in front of me,” she says. “It’s too easy to get your hands on this level of information.” 

“Although I no longer track my intake to the same extent, I still to this day have these apps downloaded on my phone as a comfort blanket,” she says. “But I am learning to listen to my body's needs rather than an app's need.” 

Perl tells us this is an important step in recovery. As part of the therapeutic process, she helps people to “respond naturally to physical cues around hunger and feeling satisfied” rather than relying on the metrics or notifications from a health-focused app or wearable.

Ask yourself: why do I need a fitness tracker in the first place?

For every person who finds health-focused tech can exacerbate disordered eating, another might use the exact same app or device to set and reach goals in a healthy way. 

“A lot of the behavior change literature tells us that self-monitoring is an effective way by which to achieve behavior change, and most people will find tracking devices helpful,” Dr Plateau explains. 

It’s difficult to predict what kind of experience someone will have with a tracking device, which is why Dr Plateau suggests everyone who has one should check in with themselves about how the goals they’ve set with their wearable or app make them feel. 

“If someone feels very anxious about the feedback a fitness tracker provides, or finds themselves constantly having to reach specific, escalating targets (e.g., step counts, calories burnt) then it possibly indicates that their relationship with the device isn’t as healthy as it could be, and it may be sensible to stop using the device, at least temporarily,” she explains. 

She also recommends considering the reasons for using a fitness device in the first place. Research has shown that using a health-focused device solely for weight or shape-related goals is linked to more concerning attitudes towards eating and food. 

Although, the reasons for using health-focused devices can easily shift. “Someone may start to use a fitness device to find out a bit more about their level of activity, perhaps to become a bit healthier and a bit fitter,” Dr Plateau says. “It may be that over time, their motivations change and weight-or-shape related goals become more prominent.” 

Regardless of your experience with health-focused tracking, Dr Plateau suggests everyone should take a break from the feedback and monitoring that an app or wearable provides: “I would suggest that we all consider going tech-free every now and again.”

For more information about disordered eating and eating disorders, as well as advice about how to get help for yourself or a loved one, please visit the charity Beat in the UK or NEDA in the US.

• Should children wear fitness trackers?

Music is pounding. Neon lights are flashing all around me. I duck, dodge, and side-step, my hands lash out in every direction. But this isn’t some new martial arts fitness craze or a high-energy spin class. It’s a VR game called Beat Saber that I’m playing on the Oculus Quest headset. I’m working out in VR – and it’s fun.

Launched in May 2018, Beat Saber has quickly become one of the most popular VR games. 

In March 2019, UploadVR reported that Beat Saber had officially sold one million copies, it’s garnered a huge online following and has even been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon – if you’ve ever wondered how good Brie Larson is at wielding a saber, click the link to find out.

What’s more, according to TechCrunch, Beat Saber isn’t just driving lots of downloads and VR headset sales. Its popularity has also played a big part in developing the new Oculus Quest’s tracking system, ensuring new tech can handle the game’s most advanced modes.

Beat Saber: a dance machine from the future

The premise of Beat Saber is simple. You have two ‘sabers’, which it feels like you’re really holding thanks to the motion controllers that come with VR headsets. You use these sabers to rhythmically slice boxes that fly toward you, in sequences of varying heights, widths and sequential complexities – think of it as like one of those dance machines you see at seafront arcades, but from the future.

It’s not hard to see why Beat Saber’s fast-paced style of fun, colorful and futuristic gaming is not only hugely popular, but a good way to get moving. 

“For many, Beat Saber has become a daily fitness routine" Michaela Dvorak, Head of Marketing at VR studio Beat Games, the company behind Beat Saber, tells TechRadar. 

“People are sharing with us their pictures before and after they started playing Beat Saber and results are insane – many people have lost more than 20-30 pounds since the game released.”

Although Beat Saber has become a fun way to work out, that wasn’t the original aim. “To be honest, the game wasn't created with a fitness intention. Jan, the Lead Developer of Beat Saber, simply wanted to create a new rhythm game which was fun to play,” Dvorak explains.

However, soon after the game was launched people wrote to the team to tell them it was already helping them to feel fitter and lose weight. The transformation stories are impressive, but what Beat Saber seems to do the best is make fitness fun.

“We began to fully realise the fitness potential of Beat Saber soon after the release when players started to post pictures with their sweaty faces and comments like these: ‘Hey Beat Saber team, your game tricked me into working out! How dare you!” Dvorak tells us.

“People who were never too much into working out found out they can create a healthy daily routine with Beat Saber,” Dvorak says. It’s easy to see why VR fitness games appeal to those who may be put off by gyms or fitness classes – you can participate from the comfort of your own home, go at your own pace and there’s no judgement. 

For these same reasons, Dvorak explains that Beat Saber has also become popular among people who are slowly trying to overcome injuries or health problems.

BoxVR: step into the virtual boxing ring

Box VR is another physically-focused VR game, but unlike Beat Saber, it was created with fitness very much in mind and offers workouts designed by fitness instructors. When you begin the game, you see cues travelling towards you that you ‘hit’ in a number of different ways, whether that’s with hooks, crosses, jabs and uppercuts – there’s also options to add squats and dodges too. 

The team at BoxVR shared similar stories. “We’ve heard of some pretty remarkable results from people using BoxVR to get fit and lose weight, ” Sameer Baroova, Co-Founder of FitXR, the creator of BoxVR tells us. “People say how much fun they are having and this is what’s great about VR, immersion helps you get into a state of flow and before you realize it you’ve just done a 30 minute workout.”

Baroova tells us about a player called Sims Odom who had stopped exercising after heart surgery and contacted the team with some great news.

“In the first six weeks I lost 15 pounds and went from a tight-fitting 38 waist to a loose 36!” Sims told the BoxVR team in an interview. “Better yet, I haven’t had a heart palpitation since I started playing BoxVR – they’re literally gone. My muscles are more toned, I feel less irritable, and the mental fog has lifted.”

BoxVR also appeals to those who may be put off by traditional fitness venues, but who want a fun way to work out from home. “What’s equally rewarding for us is when we hear of people who have previously not exercised before or who have previously found exercising a chore who have discovered BoxVR and are now using it regularly to help keep in shape,” Baroova tells us. 

How to stay safe during VR workouts

One of the most obvious considerations when it comes to VR fitness is staying safe. VR is a new medium for many people and, because of that, there are different dangers to bear in mind – the main one being your senses are immersed in the virtual environment and not the real one.

“We want to make sure people will have enough space around them when playing,” Dvorak tells us. “But also, they need to approach playing as a form of high physical activity and act like they are working out – stretch muscles, drink enough water, rest regularly. It is very important to keep this in mind.”

Beat Saber and BoxVR both show users health and safety warnings before playing, which we’d always recommend you read. But there’s only so much developers can do – you need to consider how you use VR in your home. 

For example, you need to make sure you have enough space, remove obstacles, be careful when you take a headset off and ensure you’ve stretched beforehand so you don’t pull a muscle or hurt yourself when you have lots of Beat Saber boxes whizzing at your face. 

The future of VR-powered fitness

Using VR technology to power workouts isn’t new. A number of high-end fitness companies have already integrated VR headsets into their offerings. One of the most recent comes from BlackBox VR, a VR gym concept that would require you to go to a boutique gym venue and use VR headsets when you get there to shake-up your exercise routine. 

However, the appeal of games like Beat Saber and BoxVR is that anyone with a VR headset can play them from their own home. This is appealing for lots of reasons, whether you’re recovering from an injury, feel anxious at a gym or just don’t have enough time to get to a fitness class. 

It’s also even more accessible now that VR headsets are becoming a little cheaper, require less equipment and offer more mobile experiences. Both Beat Saber and BoxVR told us that designing for the Oculus Quest, which was launched in May 2019, has given them even more creative freedom.  

“The Oculus Quest is ideal in that it’s the first untethered device and I think we’ll see more of these over time,” Baroova tells us. “VR headsets will also become even smaller, lighter and more portable, like the Quest, which of course will benefit fitness games.”

What does the future of VR fitness hold? Beat Games hopes to add more fitness features to future versions of the game now the team knows how important that element has become, including a burned calories counter, a special fitness music pack or even a collaboration with a fitness tracker company. 

Similarly, Baroova tells us that the option to sync with fitness trackers may soon come to BoxVR, as well as more integration with instructors, different exercises and the option to add weights to your workouts to make them more challenging.

“The only problem on our end is time, we have too many ideas but the team is very busy,” Dvorak says. 

“We get messages from people sending us tips for new fitness features or requesting their favorite fitness tracks for the game. This is a developer's dream. Create a game which has such a huge impact on people's lives all around the world."

• Best Oculus Quest games 2019: the must-play VR titles you don’t want to miss

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is one of our favorite fitness-focused smartwatches and the next version, the Galaxy Watch Active 2, is on its way soon with ECG tech and three different models to choose from.

According to an exclusive report from Wareable, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is likely to be announced alongside the Galaxy Note 10 next month. 

The report also states that the Active 2 will be available in three different models. There's an LTE version, a Bluetooth-only version and an Under Armour-branded version, which will apparently come with added sports-focused features. 

It also appears that rumors might be true: the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 will have an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor built-in. However, the feature may not be available until 2020 when a software update is rolled out to the wearable.

• Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2: release date, price, news and leaks

This latest news comes just days after a leaked render of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 was shared by Android Headlines, which shows a smartwatch that looks very similar to its predecessor, but with a leather strap and red ring around its power button.

According to Wareable, this version is likely to be the LTE model, which will come with a leather strap, four different color variants and black, silver, gold or rose gold casing.

It looks highly like that the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 will be announced on August 7 at the Samsung event in New York. If previous Samsung wearables are anything to go by, it'll then be available to buy later this year.

• If you don't want to wait around, check out our guide to the best smartwatch of 2019: the top wearables you can buy today

5G is the next-generation of mobile internet. That means soon, when it rolls out to more than a few locations, it’ll be replacing 4G. 

There are lots of advantages to 5G: it promises to be faster than 4G, it’ll cover wider areas, connections will be more stable and latency, which is the response time between your device and the network it’s connected to, will decrease. 

This advanced connectivity will have a significant impact on technology and how we use it. From the way we interact with our smartphones and connected home devices through to powering whole industries, such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities and always-on healthcare, just to name a few. 

However, if we had to put our money on an industry that could benefit the most from 5G, and may even need it to truly take off, it would be virtual reality (VR). 

Although there have been reports over the past few years that VR headset sales aren’t hitting targets, VR is proving to be more and more popular - and this is just the beginning. 

According to recent stats, the VR industry as a whole is growing exponentially year upon year. Right now, in 2019, the market size is estimated to be around $6.2 billion, which could rise to a predicted $16.3 billion by 2022 worldwide. 

VR is big business and expected to play a major role in a range of industries, from entertainment through to training, education and healthcare. But, although the technology has huge potential, and is already being used in some of these settings, there are still technical issues that hold it back from reaching its full potential.

The good news is that many believe VR’s biggest obstacles could be overcome by 5G, bringing low latency, super fast speeds and stable connections to headsets that will make VR experiences more accessible, more reliable, and, importantly, more immersive.

The current reality of virtual reality

Virtual reality, often referred to as VR, is a kind of technology that allows you to fully inhabit virtual spaces. But we don’t mean getting lost in a book – the VR we’re talking about here requires you to put on a device, in this case a VR headset, and experience a virtual environment that’s been created by computers. 

Most VR headsets are fitted with a display, stereo sound, sensors, and more, to believably place you inside a virtual environment. What that environment is, will depend on what you’re using VR for. VR headsets are typically considered entertainment devices, and you can use them to play all kinds of games, as well as watch TV and movie content. But VR offers more than that.

There are big plans to make social VR as commonplace as social networks, allowing you to connect with friends and family wherever they are. And, increasingly, documentary VR experiences are being made, as well as arts-based content. There are also a range of applications for VR that go well beyond what you’d likely be using a VR headset for at home, including training, education, logistics and healthcare, just to name a few. 

Given there are so many uses for VR, analysts have high hopes for the future of the industry. But, although headset sales are now on the rise, VR still hasn’t reached its full potential of being a must-have device in every living room.

There are many reasons why VR hasn’t gone ‘mainstream’ yet. One is that the technology has, historically, been expensive. And, although recent releases are entering the market at significantly cheaper price points, they’re not cheap cheap. 

It’s not just the price, either. It’s also a risky purchase for most people. Many need convincing to splash their cash on this kind of tech, as well as to strap a device to their faces to have fun rather than pick up a games controller or switch on their favorite Netflix show. 

Another reason, however, is that connectivity has been lacking. The main premise of virtual reality is that you experience a virtual world or space. For that to really work, devices need to be running fast, they need high levels of storage and low latency. That’s why 5G could be just what VR needs for it be for everyone – and enjoyed everywhere. 

What 5G can do for VR

“The impact of 5G on the immersive industry may seem small, but in fact, it could be one of the biggest,” Sol Rogers, CEO of REWIND tells TechRadar. 

One of the most obvious benefits of 5G to VR, as well as other industries, is that connectivity will be more stable. Right now, VR apps can be interrupted by network performance. 5G, however, will be able to handle many more devices at the same time, meaning your connection doesn’t suffer.

Although this is good news for better gaming and entertainment experiences, it could also be what VR needs to become a more valuable proposition so it can be used across more industries, like healthcare or engineering, which require only the most stable connections to be widely implemented.

5G will also lower latency, which means, essentially, better responsiveness. In this case, it refers to the time taken between a request being made and a response being received. 

Low latency is what’s necessary for VR experiences to run smoothly, so there’s no lag - this can lead to motion sickness, as well just unrealistic-looking VR experiences. According to Qualcomm, 5G is expected to provide a 10 times decrease in latency over 4G, which could significantly improve VR experiences. 

Existing VR apps would also be able to offload intensive processing to the cloud, which would mean smaller, more energy efficient and even more affordable hardware. 

“The core technology (bandwidth and latency) will enable off-device computing,” Rogers tells us. So, your device could be low powered and thus low cost, but still be the front-end to a full size and scalable machine in the cloud or at the edge.”

“This means that the graphical and computational power available to create amazing experiences for all of us will increase exponentially,” he says. 

VR is becoming more mobile

The advent of 5G comes at a great time for the VR industry for another reason: it’s already becoming more mobile. 

Headsets have, typically, been connected by a wire to a computer, which is how they’re powered. This meant that, for some, they were a confusing proposition, needed extra equipment to work and meant that experiences designed to make you feel free and place you in another environment, were very physically restraining. 

However, that’s slowly changing. New headsets like the Oculus Quest, and business-driven HTC Focus, bring high-quality VR to more mobile form factors, which can work well without wires and additional equipment to power them, as well as sense movement without external sensors.

5G’s potential to serve up fast, reliable connectivity wherever you are, appear to be a match made in heaven for this new era of headsets. Imagine VR at the park or just not having to rely on a Wi-Fi connection – that really feels like the future.

The most important thing to remember here is that for VR to do what it says it can do, immersion is important. For a virtual world to feel like the real world, everything needs to match up. 

From the way images are presented to the speed of the world moving as your head does to visuals that fool your senses into thinking you’re really there. It has to be fast and it has to be realistic. 

The great thing about 5G is it will be able to enhance these experiences and this will, hopefully, allow VR to reach its full potential.

5G Uncovered, in association with Samsung, brings you everything you need to know about the next wave of connectivity - not just how fast it's going to be, but in just how many ways it's going to change your life. Our 5G Uncovered hub is carefully curated to show everything there is to know about the next generation of connection.   

• The best VR games this year

Fitness trackers have been around for years, but only recently have they been engineered for children with kid-friendly designs and a simpler set of features. 

Garmin was one of the first big tech names to release the Vivofit Jr for kids back in 2016. Since then, it’s brought out the Vivofit Jr. 2 and Fitbit has followed suit, with the Fitbit Ace in 2018 and the Fitbit Ace 2 in May 2019. 

They may be the two most recognizable names in kids wearables, but they’re not the only ones on offer, there’s also the Kurio Watch, Leapfrog Leapband and Vtech Kidizoom Smartwatch, as well as many others. 

The features these wearables offer differs from tracker to tracker. Some are focused solely on activity, others are like mini smartwatches, with lots of features on offer and a whole other category of kids wearable focuses solely on location.

Once considered quite niche, since Fitbit released the Ace children’s wearables have become more and more popular. Although there are no official figures on activity tracker sales for kids, 

Gartner predicts wearable device sales will grow 26 percent in 2019 and acknowledges children’s devices are now a key segment of the market.

But why would your child need a fitness tracker? 

Physical inactivity is an increasing public health problem among children and teens across the globe. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for death worldwide. Stats suggest that more than 81% of adolescents between 11 and 17-years-old were insufficiently physically active. 

Furthermore, the WHO reports that the number of overweight and obese infants and young children (aged 0 to 5 years) increased from 32 million globally in 1990 to 41 million in 2016.

There’s clearly a problem with inactivity and obesity, but can a fitness tracker solve that?

It’s hard to say. There aren’t enough big studies about the efficacy of fitness trackers among children yet, but early research has shown they could have a positive effect. 

It makes sense that trackers for children have emerged, packing the same motivational factors we’re used to in trackers for adults into a smaller form factor, like seeing step counts, winning badges and competing with friends and family members to hit their goals.

But there are also issues with giving activity trackers to kids, including links between daily tracking and an unhealthy focus on exercise and weight, as well as the potential for such focused tracking to suck the fun out of your child’s enjoyment of physical activity for good. 

We asked the experts whether activity trackers for kids are a good idea and what parents need to know before they buy one.

What trackers are available for kids – and what do they actually do? 

There are lots of trackers for children available to buy right now. The two brands you’ll be most familiar with are Fitbit and Garmin.

Garmin released the Vivofit Jr in 2016 and the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 ($69.99 / £79.99 AU$129) in 2017. Available in a range of kid-friendly designs with themes like Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Princess and Minnie Mouse, the Vivofit Jr is a pared back version of the Vivofit 4 for adults.

It has a simple, swim-friendly design with a chunky, stretchy band that should fit kids aged 4 to 7, but can be replaced with an adjustable strap as they get older. It also has a customizable color screen and one year battery life, which is good news because it means no recharging is needed.

It tracks steps, sleep and 60 minutes of daily recommended activity and, depending on which theme band kids go for, has different challenges. For example, the Marvel band has Ultron’s Revenge, an Avengers game that allows you to complete missions by completing activity goals.

Parents can view sleep and activity when it’s synced via the app and there’s also a chores function, which assigns kids tasks they need to carry out, as well as daily step challenges that the whole family can take part in. 

Aimed at kids aged six and up, the Fitbit Ace 2 ($69.95 / £69.99 / AU$129) offers activity, sleep and step tracking, but its main focus is on getting 60 active minutes a day. It’s aimed at kids aged six and up and has up to five days of battery life.

It has a lot of fun incentives to get kids moving, like virtual badges and avatars, as well as step challenges for the family. You can set also bedtime reminders at night and silent alarms for the morning.

If your child has a phone of their own, it can also send through call alerts and, depending on how you customize it, you can also set reminders to move. 

The Kurio Watch ($89.95 / £39.99 / AU$98) is much more like a mini smartwatch with Bluetooth built-in. It has a camera on-board, call notifications, messages, games and a fitness tracker too all within a bright design with a comfortable strap.

The Leapfrog Leapband ($35 / £30 / AU$29.99) can track all-day activity. Parents can also set challenges, which kids earn points for when they move and can then unlock rewards. It’s aimed at younger children and there’s a little pet on the screen that you look after by moving – like a Tamagotchi. There are lots of parental controls, including a quiet time mode for sleep or school. 

Another mini smartwatch, the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch ($47.99 / £34.99 AUD$99) features games, a voice recorder, a camera and a pedometer, as well as some movement-based games, but no continuous tracking. 

Of course there are a whole host of fitness trackers that aren’t made specially for kids, but could fit them. We’ve recommended the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 and Huawei Band 2 Pro for children in the past.

There are also some wearables for kids that are just about location – not activity tracking. They’re built to keep tabs on where your kids are so you know they’re safe, like Xplora and LG’s GizmoGadget.

Why fitness trackers for kids are a good idea 

Studies have shown that tracking activity with the help of wearables devices has the potential to help some people change their behavior.

Many of the trackers listed above are created with behavioral change in mind, so they allow children to see clear information about how much they’ve moved throughout the day, count their steps, take part in challenges, receive badges and rewards and more features designed to promote positive behavior and habits. 

“Fitness trackers can help kids become more aware of their own activity level (or lack thereof),” Joshua Kozak, CEO at HASfit and CEO at Wellthon, says. “Gentle reminders to be more active, stand regularly, and get outside to go play can help children form positive habits that last into adulthood.”

We spoke to Nicola, whose son Luca has been using the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, and finds it motivates him to move more. 

“He particularly likes it when he 'wins' a new Marvel icon or completes a mission,” she says. “He does a similar thing to adults and starts jogging on the spot or running up and down stairs when he can see he's getting near to a step/active minutes goal.”

Lindsay Decker, PhD student at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, agrees that the appeal of activity trackers for children is often the same as for adults. 

“This is universal in younger and older children, they are interested in seeing the actual results right on the watch,” she tells us. “It is very interesting to children that when they take 5 or 10 steps, their watch shows that right away in real time.”

Dr Lauren Sherar, who specializes in physical activity and health in children at Loughborough University, explains that preliminary data is positive. “Activity monitors may have the potential to increase children’s activity levels in the short term through self-monitoring and goal setting, two effective behavior change techniques.” 

But she warns us that data about the long term effectiveness is currently lacking.

The problems with activity tracking 

Some believe that encouraging kids to look at stats relating to health and activity each day can increase obsessive focus on image, body weight and fitness in the long-run.

“Just like with food, overly controlling parents can create negative associations in children that leads to children taking back control as an adult,” Kozak says. “If a child learns to directly associate exercise with being yelled at, disappointing their parents or being grounded, it doesn’t take a trained psychologist to understand how they may view exercise as an adult.”

Dr Carolyn Plateau, a lecturer in psychology at Loughborough University, has been studying the effect that fitness trackers could have on eating disorders. She recently completed research with 352 young adults, with an average age of 22-years-old. 229 of them used a fitness tracking device and 123 didn’t. Those who did track their activity or food intake showed higher levels of both disordered eating and exercise than those who did not. 

The results also found that those who were tracking activity to manage weight and shape showed higher levels of disordered eating and exercise, as opposed to those who wanted to feel generally more fit and healthy. 

She tells us that this doesn’t mean fitness trackers on their own can cause eating disorders, as there are lots of factors at play. “It could just be that participants with disordered eating and exercise tendencies may be more likely to want to track their food and fitness,” Plateau says. 

“But, it is also possible monitoring of activity and food intake could inadvertently encourage or validate some of the features of disordered eating and exercise among those who are vulnerable.” 

Plateau’s work to date has been focused on adult behavior – and there’s been no specific research on children’s use and disordered eating yet. 

However, the age group many activity trackers are aimed at is an important one in building self identity and positive body image. That’s why parents need to understand the possible effects of activity tracking  – as well as the steps they can take to build positive associations. 

Activity tracking could also create a negative association with health and fitness without the right guidance. This means children could lose motivation for movement and play – especially if they begin to view it as a chore. 

“The biggest downside would be the potential risk of sapping the fun out of children’s play,” Dr Sherar says, “Care must be taken to ensure the use of the device is not seen as a negative by the child (i.e., they shouldn’t feel watched, controlled, judged, measured in a negative way).”  

“Care must be taken to avoid promoting a narrow view of what physical activity is beneficial,” Dr Dale Esliger, who specializes in wearable technology for behavior change at Loughborough University, says. “Climbing a tree may not rack up the step counts, but it is a wonderfully healthful physical activity.”

What can parents do to make activity tracking positive?  

None of these potential issues mean parents shouldn’t buy fitness trackers for their children. Instead, there’s a lot they can do to address them – and to help build a beneficial and lasting relationship with health and exercise in the long-run. 

Decker explains that communication is important. “Children want to emulate adult behavior, so, often when the parent asks about the wearable device, or even wears one too, kids are likely to keep interest in looking at the data, improving their activity, and even competing with their parents,” she says.

This is why the Fitbit and Garmin products for kids could have the most lasting appeal – many parents already have their own tracker, which turns fitness into a family goal rather than just an individual one. “Family challenges can be an excellent way of enhancing sustained engagement while also enhancing the physical activity of the whole family,” says Dr Esliger.

It’s also important to talk through the logistics of an activity tracker. Although children may be familiar with tech, a wearable is a little different to an iPad. “Parents can help by telling kids this is a responsibility and how to treat the wearable and by creating a routine where they look at their daily steps and talk about why they got more or less than the previous day and then maybe taking time to charge it together,” Decker tells us.

Keeping up with where the device is and if it’s charged may also be something children need help with at the start. “Kids often take off the device and set it down, in the bathroom, at their school desk, on the couch, and don't even realize it – this is how a lot of devices get lost or misplaced,” she tells us.

Although there’s plenty parents and caregivers can do, the onus shouldn’t be solely on them. Tech companies can make building positive associations with health and fitness easier by continuing to create products that put the wellbeing of children front and centre.

Dr Esliger believes there are a number of ways tech companies can build better, more beneficial trackers. “Utilizing gamification (such as seen in Pokemon Go) may add to the appeal of activity monitors for children,” he says. “Sensory methods of feedback (such as vibrating or lighting up) would likely be more attractive, especially for younger children.”

He also believes special attention needs to be paid to the feedback trackers give children. “Messages should be focused on the holistic benefits of physical activity, with devices refraining from monitoring and goals surrounding weight-loss and/or calories,” Dr Esliger says.

Most of the devices we’ve covered already incorporate many of these features. But as smartwatches and wearables for children become more popular, every company venturing into the space needs to be clear about what’s best for youngsters.

“Tech companies need to be deliberate in giving parents the right tools and framework to implement the technology,” says Kozak. “Without it, fitness trackers for kids can have the exact opposite effect they’re looking for.”

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